Printing-machine.



No. 774,658. PATENTED Nov. 8, 1904.

- J. s. DUNCAN.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12,1904.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.310. 774,658. PATENTED NOV. 8. 1904.

-- J. s. DUNCAN.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1904.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 774,658. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. J. 3. DUNCAN.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

F0 MODEL.

I Q l.

UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT FFIQE.

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ADDRESSO- GRAPHCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,658, dated November8, 1904. Application filed February 12, 1904. Serial No. 193,246. (Nomodel.)

T0 rtZZ- whom it 77MT/LI/ concern:

Be it known that I,JosEPH S. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing-machines; and its object is to enablea close imitation of type-written letters in printing circular-lettersby printing an autograph signature on the circular-letter in the oneprinting operation and in a different-colored ink from the text of theletter.

The invention also'has for its object to provide means which can bereadily attached to the platen of a printing-machine for automaticallyprinting a signature or other supplemental matter on a circular-letter,and it has other objects in view, which will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one manner of embodyingthe invention in physical form.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention applied to theplaten of a printing-machine, which is illustrated partly in section.illustrating several positions of the shifter. Figs. 6 and 7 show theinvention in normal position at rest and in printing position,respectively. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View of theinking-pad-shifting means. Fig. 9 is adetail view showing particularlythe stampshifter and the spring for returning the stamp to normalposition. Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of aportion of the bracket.

I believe that my invention can be applied to a variety of platenprinting-machines, and itwill be understood, therefore, that I do notlimit or restrict the invention to embodiment with a machine of anyparticular kind. For this reason I have not deemed it necessary toillustrate or describe in detail the construction of a printing-machine,as it appears am ply suflicient to properly understand the invention tosay that the signatureprinting mechanism is attached to a platen 15,which Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are detail views' carries a sheet in theusual manner into printing contact with a form on the bed 16. The platenis mounted on a shaft or studs 17 in the main frame 18 and may beactuated by any suitable means, such as the segment-gears 19 19' on eachside of the machine, the segments 19 being carried by arms 20, which arerocked by means of suitable connections with the power-shaft 21 and areconnected also with arms 22 on each side of the machine carrying rolls23 for inking the form of the printing-machine.

The signature-printing device is supported in normal position alongsidethe platen, Fig. 6, by a bracket 24:, which is adjustably secured bybolts 25 to the under side of the platen, Fig. 10. The signature-form,which I will refer to for convenience as the stamp, 26, is carried byone end of an arm 27, which is pivotally connected by links 28 and 29 tothe bracket 24. This arm, which I will call the stamp-arinfis adapted tobe shifted to carry the stamp in the arc of a circle described from thepivot-pin 30 of the link 28 between position at rest alongside of theplaten,'Fig. 6, and printing position on the platen, Fig. 7 Thismovement of the stamparm is accomplished bymeans of a shifter 31, whichis also mounted on the pivot-pin 30 and is normally held in contact withan arm 32 on the link 28 by a spring 33. An adjustable stop 34, Figs. 2to 5, may be provided on the shifter to engage the arm 32, so that theshifting movement of the stamp may be properly adjusted and regulated.The shifter is operated by a tripper, which comprises an adj ustable arm35, fastened rigidly on the platen shaft or stud or other part andcarrying an antifriction-roller 35, Fig. 1. In Figs. 2 to 5 I haveillustrated several positions of the shifter to indicate its operation,and referring thereto, Fig. 2 shows the'shifter in the position itoccupies when the platen is at rest, as shown in Fig. 1. The tripper isso located and adjusted with reference to the shifter that as the platenmoves forward (as indicated by arrows in Figs. 2 and 3) to printingposition one side, 36, of the shifter travels against one side of thetripper, and in passing the tripper the shifter is swung slightlythereby against the tension of spring 33 into the position shown in Fig.3; but this movement of the shifter is not communicated to any of theother parts and performs no function. On the return movement of theplaten, as indicated by arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, the other side, 37, ofthe shifter engages the tripper, Fig. 4, and as the return movement ofthe platen continues the shifter travels on the tripper and is finallyswung on its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 5 against the tensionof the spring 38, Figs. 9, 10, which is attached to link 28 and thebracket 24: and is adapted to return the shifter to its normal position,Fig. 2, as soon as it passes the tripper on the return movement of theplaten. It will thus be understood that on the forward movement of theplaten the shifter is moved in passing the tripper from the positionshown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 and is returned to theposition shown in Fig. 2 after passing the tripper by the spring 33, andit will also be understood that upon the return movement of the platenthe shifter travels from its outer end for a distance up toward itspivot and then back again to its outer end on the tripper, as indicatedin Figs. 4 and 5, and during this movement the shifter engages the arm32 and causes the link 28 to swing on its pivot 30 and swing the stampfrom position at rest into printing position. This movement of the stampis made quickly while the platen is returning from printing position,and the operation of feeding sheets to the printing-machine will not inany way be interfered with by the automatically and quickly operatingsignature-stamp. When the spring 38 pulls the stamp back from printingposition to normal position, a pin 39 on the link 28 engages and ridesagainst a springarm 40, which may be conveniently supported by thetripper-arm 35. This arm 40 acts as a guide-stop to prevent the printingdevices from returning to normal position with a jerk and to allow thestamp and stamp-arm to swing backward easily into normal position. Thespring-arm is bent or inclined; Fig. 7, rearwardly from the point wherethe pin first engages it as the link and other printing-devices swingback to position at rest.

The stamp 26, which may consist of any suitable form, is carried by aholder 41, which is fastened in place on the stamp-arm by screws 42 andis adjusted by the screws 43, which pass through the arm and bear uponthe holder.

The inking device comprises a pad 44, which is supported in place on thebracket 2 L beneath the stamp when the latter is in position at rest,and this pad is adjusted in proper position by the adjusting-screws 45,which operate in the bracket. The inking-pad is held in place on thebracket by a spring 46,

which is attached to the pad and passesthrough an opening 47 in the top48 of the bracket and is fastened thereto below the top. It is desirablethat the stamp should not engage the pad at the same place each time,and for this reason I provide means for shifting the pad so that thestamp will make contact with a different part of the face of the pad ateach operation of the machine. The pad-shifting means comprises a shaft49, which is journaled in a bearing 50 on the bracket and carries a disk51, provided with a crank-pin 52, which worksin an opening 53 in theunder side of the pad, Fig. 8. This crank-shaft is operated to shift thepad by means of a lever 54, which carries afeed-pawl 55,engaging theratchet 56,mounted on the shaft49. The lever 54: projects into the pathof movement of the stamp-arm, as shown in Fig. 10, and is engaged andoperated by the stamp-arm when it moves to carry the stamp intoprintingposition. Whenever the shaft 49 is turned, the inking-pad isshifted on the bracket, and this shifting movement of the pad occurs ateach operation of the stamp-arm, so that when the stamp returns to itsnormal position the pad will be at rest and remain so until thestamp-arm has carried the stamp a given distance to printing position. Aspringarm 57 is arranged to operate at the same time upon the feed-pawland the lever for returning the lever to normal position, Fig. 10; butany other suitable means for this purpose may be employed. 1 may alsoemploy a locking-dog 58 to engage and hold the ratchet against reversemovement. It is desirable that the stamp should not lie in actualcontact with the pad while the machine is not in operation to avoidunnecessary wear upon the pad and prevent it from becoming misshapen bya constantly-applied pressure. For this reason I provide means toprevent the stamp from contacting with the pad until immediately beforethe operation of the stamp begins. and this means comprises a yieldingstop 59, which is adapted to support the stamp-arm upon its return tonormal position and hold the stamp slightly elevated above the pad, Fig.6. The stamp-arm is held with the pad in this elevated position untilthe platen has been carried to printing position, at which time the topof the stamp-arm engages a bracket 60 or some other fixed part on the.main frame of the machine with suificient force to over come thepressure of the yielding stop, so that the stamp will be carried againstthe pad. I also provide a flat spring-arm 61 on the bracket, Figs. 6,7,to engage the stamp-arm when the stamp reaches printing position andprevent it from rebounding.

The operation of the signature-printing device will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description of the construction. Thearrangement of the parts is such that the stamp is caused to operateupon the sheet carried by the platen after the sheet has been printedand on the return movement of the platen to normal position. The stampis not only carried forward to print upon the sheet, but is carried backto its normal position at rest during this return movement of theplaten, and the operation-of the stamp is performed quickly, so that itwill not interfere in any way with the operation of removing the printedsheet and placing a fresh sheet in position on the platen.

The signature-printing device can be adjusted on the platen and thetripper can be adjusted relative thereto to provide for printing thesignature at any desired place on the sheet, and it will be understoodthat instead of printing a signature the device may be employed forprinting any other desired matter, as the stamp can be changed and theparts adjusted as desired.

The device is simple in construction and automatic in operation, and itcan be applied to a variety of platen printing-machines.

Of course the stamp may print in a differentcolored ink from thatemployed in printing the text of the letter, and as the stamp can printan autograph signature it will be seen that a complete letter can beprinted in very close imitation of a type-written and personally-signedletter.

The platen which carries the sheet to the first printing operation,being the customary printing operation of platen printingmachines, canbe oscillated by other means than that disclosed in the drawings; but myinvention does not pertain to the platen nor to the means for operatingit, but to a printing device carried by the platen, preferably at oneside thereof and adapted to be moved in an angular direction withrelation to the movement of the platen to print upon the sheet whilecarried by the platen within the limits of its oscillating movement.

IVithout limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement ofparts herein shown and described, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a printing-machine, the combination with an oscillating member forcarrying a sheet to be printed, of a stamp device carried by saidmember, and means for operating said device to print upon the sheetwhile carried by said member.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination with a movable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stampcarried by the platen for printing on said sheet.

In a printing-machine, the combination with a movable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stampcarried by the platen at the side of the sheet, and means for movingsaid stamp to print on the sheet while carried-by the platen.

4:. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen arranged totravel in the arc of a circle and carry a sheet into printing posi tion,of means carried by the platen for again printing on the sheet whilecarried by the platen between the first printing position and itsinitial position.

5. In a printing-machine, the combination with a movable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stampcarried by the platen at one side of the sheet, and means for moving thestamp to print on the sheet while being carried by the platen from thefirst printing position to its initial position.

6. In a printing-machine, the combination with a movable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stampcarried by the platen at one side of the sheet, and means for movingsaid stamp at an angle to the movement of the platen for printing on thesheet while carried by the platen.

7 In a printing-machine, the combination with amovable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stampcarried by the platen at one side of the sheet, and means for swingingsaid stamp in the arc of a circle to print upon the sheet while carriedby the platen. I

8. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carrying thesheet to be printed, of a fixed form for printing on the sheet, a stampcarried by the platen at one side of the sheet, and means for moving thestamp in the arc of a circle to print upon the sheet while carried bythe platen between the first printing position and its initial position.

9. In a printing-machine, the combination with amovable platen forcarrying the sheet to be printed into printing position, of a stamp, anarm carrying said stamp and pivotally connected to the platen, and meansfor moving the stamp to print on the sheet while carried by'the platen.

10. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be' printed, of a form for printing on the sheet,.a stampcarried by the platen, a shifter connected to said stamp and atripperadapted to actuate said shifter to cause the stamp to print upon thesheet.

11. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed of a form for printing on the sheet, a stampcarried by the platen, a shifter connected to the stamp, and a tripperon the machine adapted to be engaged by theshifter to actuate theshifter and move the stamp to print on the sheet while carried by theplaten between the limits of its movement.

12. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheetto be printed, of a form for printing on the sheet, a stampadaptedtoswing .in thearc of acircle at an angle to the movement of theplaten to print on the sheet While carried by the platen, and means forretarding the return movement of said stamp to initial position.

13. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a form for printing on the sheet, a stampcarried by the platen, a tripper on the machine for causing the stamp toprint upon the sheet, and a guide to regulate the return of the stamp toinitial position.

14. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a form for printing on the sheet, a stampcarried by the platen, a trippcr adjustably mounted on the machineadjacent to printing position, and a shifter connected to the stamp andadapted to be operated by said tripper While the platen is on its returnmovement to cause the stamp to print upon the sheet.

l5. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp carried by the platen, a shifterconnected to the stamp, a tripper adapted to operate said shifter tocause the stamp to print upon the sheet, and means for retarding thereturn movement of the stamp.

16. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp carried by the platen, a tripper,and a shifter connected to the stamp and comprising an arm adapted to beoperated by the tripper to operate the stamp.

17. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, a stamp, an arm carrying the stamp, a linkpivotally connected to the stamp-arm, a tripper, and a shiftercomprising an arm adapted to be operated by said tripper to engage saidlink and operate the stamp.

18. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp carried by the platen, a shifterconnected to the stamp and adapted to move the stamp in the arc of acircle to print upon the sheet, a tripper arranged to operate saidshifter, and a spring for returning the stamp to initial position.

19. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a printing device carried by said platen andadjustably mounted thereon, and means on the machine adjustablerelatively to said printing device'to operate the same.

20. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp carried by the platen, aninking-pad, means for moving said stamp to print upon the sheet, andmeans for preventing the stamp from engaging With the pad until it isabout to move into stamping position.

21. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp carried by the platen, an

inking-pad, means for moving the stamp from the pad to print upon thesheet, means for maintaining the stamp out of contact With the pad, andmeans for causing the stamp to engage the pad prior to its movement tostamping position.

22. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of an inking-pad, a stamp arranged to travelbetween the pad and stamping position on the platen, means for normallypreventing the stamp from engaging the pad, and means for causing thestamp to engage the pad prior to its movement to stamping position.

23. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of an inking-pad carried alongside of theplaten, a stamp carried by the platen and adapted to swingfrom normalposition above the inking-pad to stamping position on the platen,yielding means for holding the stamp out of contact with the pad, andmeans for causing the stamp to engage the pad When the platen is movedto printing position.

24. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a printing device carried by said. platen,an inking-pad for said printing device, and means for shifting said. padat each operation of the printing device to prevent the printing deviceengaging the pad at the same place in successive inking operations.

25. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of astamp-arm carried bysaid platen, a stampcarried by said arm, an inking-pad, and means adapted to be operated bysaid stamp-arm to shift the pad at each operation of the stamp toprevent the stamp engaging the pad at the same place in successiveinking operations.

26. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of a stamp-arm, a stamp carried by said arm, aninking-pad, a crank device connected to said inking-pad, and meansoperated by said stamp-arm for operating said crank device to shift thepad at each operation of the machine.

27. In a printing-machine, the combination With a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, a bracket on said platen, an inkingpad,yielding means for connecting said pad to the bracket, a stamp adaptedto engage said pad, and means for shifting the position of the pad onthe bracket at each operation of the stamp.

28. In a printing-machine, the combination with a platen for carryingthe sheet to be printed, of an inking-pad, a crank connected to saidpad, a ratchet connected to said crank, a lever for operating theratchet, a stamp adapted to engage the pad, and an arm conneeted to saidstamp for engaging and operoperated by said arm to shift the pad at eachating said lever. operation of the stamp.

29. In a printing-machine, the combination 1 1 T with a platen forcarrying the sheet to be JObEPH DUNCAN 5 printed, of a bracket on theplaten, a shiftable WVitnesses:

pad guided on said bracket, a stamp, an arm WM. 0. BELT,

carrying said stamp, and means adapted to be FRANCES B. ALLEN.

